Cooking for yourself
- Thread starter Euryalus
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Macaroni Casserole, making some at the moment actually, it's easy and depending on how much you eat, one set last for 3-5 times. You can make it and then warm it later in a microwave or in a frying pan.
What you need:
Macaroni 400g
Minced meat 400g
3 eggs
6dl milk
What you do:
Boil the macaroni
Fry the meat
Mix them (for exampel in the saucepan that you boiled the macaroni in)
Salt and pepper the stuff
Put it in a casserol/baking dish
Put 6 decilitres of milk and 3 eggs in something and mix it
Pour the liquid of milk and eggs into the mix of macaroni and meat
Put in the oven, oven should be at 200 degrees C and the casserol in it for about 45min
Take out the food, let it cool for 15-20 minutes
Eat
What you need:
Macaroni 400g
Minced meat 400g
3 eggs
6dl milk
What you do:
Boil the macaroni
Fry the meat
Mix them (for exampel in the saucepan that you boiled the macaroni in)
Salt and pepper the stuff
Put it in a casserol/baking dish
Put 6 decilitres of milk and 3 eggs in something and mix it
Pour the liquid of milk and eggs into the mix of macaroni and meat
Put in the oven, oven should be at 200 degrees C and the casserol in it for about 45min
Take out the food, let it cool for 15-20 minutes
Eat
Baked potatoes are easy to do in an oven and you can use whatever topping you like. Cheese, beans, tuna mayo, leftover bolognese or chilli, etc.
Spaghetti bolognese is pretty damn quick an easy, especially if you cheat and use sauce from a jar. It's possible to make this in bulk and freeze it in batches, then warm it up while you cook some fresh pasta. It also doesn't have to be spaghetti, obviously, use whatever pasta you have to hand.
Lasagne takes a bit of preparation time but it's freaking delicious and you can easily make enough for 2-3 meals. Just keep it refrigerated and wrapped up or in tupperware.
Make (or if you're lazy, buy) some pizza bases. Put on a thick layer of tomato puree, then go nuts with cheese and your favourite toppings. I do a mean seafood pizza using tinned tuna, freshly-defrosted frozen prawns, and anchovies. 10 minutes in an oven and it's done. If you're using a pre-made base you can have your pizza made, cooked, and on the table in the same time it'd take a pizza to be delivered, and for like a quarter of the price.
Garlic bread is a quick and easy side that goes with anything, but especially Italian-inspired food like the three ideas above. Crush a clove of garlic, put it in a ramekin or small bowl with butter and a pinch of mixed herbs, and gently whisk with a fork: bingo, the easiest garlic butter ever. Spread on some toasted baguette slices - or regular toast cut into strips or wedges.
Another simple side everybody should know how to make is a quick salad with vinaigrette. Salad bowl, lettuce, your choice of sliced tomato or halved cherry tomatoes, sliced pepper, sweetcorn, whatever. The vinaigrette is equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar with some salt and pepper. If that sounds like too much work, even just some salad leaves with a drizzle of balsamic is better than nothing.
Eggs are your friend. Omelettes are delicious and easy to make. Some people do this thing where they constantly move the mixture around; I just pan-cook the bottom half then place the same pan under the grill to cook the top. remove from pan, grate cheese on, and fold. Badda-boom. Scrambled eggs make a great accompaniment to toast or fish at breakfast. Ditto fried eggs (remember: a little oil, low heat, be patient. If they stick or burn you're doing it wrong. Good eggs are worth waiting for). Boiled eggs can be made in bulk, then added to salads, sliced to go in sandwiches, or eaten whole as a snack.
If you're lazy as hell: cheese on toast! Make them into mini-pizzas by adding a layer of ketchup under the cheese, or putting on sliced tomato and meat before the cheese goes on.
Spaghetti bolognese is pretty damn quick an easy, especially if you cheat and use sauce from a jar. It's possible to make this in bulk and freeze it in batches, then warm it up while you cook some fresh pasta. It also doesn't have to be spaghetti, obviously, use whatever pasta you have to hand.
Lasagne takes a bit of preparation time but it's freaking delicious and you can easily make enough for 2-3 meals. Just keep it refrigerated and wrapped up or in tupperware.
Make (or if you're lazy, buy) some pizza bases. Put on a thick layer of tomato puree, then go nuts with cheese and your favourite toppings. I do a mean seafood pizza using tinned tuna, freshly-defrosted frozen prawns, and anchovies. 10 minutes in an oven and it's done. If you're using a pre-made base you can have your pizza made, cooked, and on the table in the same time it'd take a pizza to be delivered, and for like a quarter of the price.
Garlic bread is a quick and easy side that goes with anything, but especially Italian-inspired food like the three ideas above. Crush a clove of garlic, put it in a ramekin or small bowl with butter and a pinch of mixed herbs, and gently whisk with a fork: bingo, the easiest garlic butter ever. Spread on some toasted baguette slices - or regular toast cut into strips or wedges.
Another simple side everybody should know how to make is a quick salad with vinaigrette. Salad bowl, lettuce, your choice of sliced tomato or halved cherry tomatoes, sliced pepper, sweetcorn, whatever. The vinaigrette is equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar with some salt and pepper. If that sounds like too much work, even just some salad leaves with a drizzle of balsamic is better than nothing.
Eggs are your friend. Omelettes are delicious and easy to make. Some people do this thing where they constantly move the mixture around; I just pan-cook the bottom half then place the same pan under the grill to cook the top. remove from pan, grate cheese on, and fold. Badda-boom. Scrambled eggs make a great accompaniment to toast or fish at breakfast. Ditto fried eggs (remember: a little oil, low heat, be patient. If they stick or burn you're doing it wrong. Good eggs are worth waiting for). Boiled eggs can be made in bulk, then added to salads, sliced to go in sandwiches, or eaten whole as a snack.
If you're lazy as hell: cheese on toast! Make them into mini-pizzas by adding a layer of ketchup under the cheese, or putting on sliced tomato and meat before the cheese goes on.
if all you have is a stove top (be it gas or electric or halogen) then...
pasta plus a tin of condensed soup (look on the tin, if the instructions say that you can 'double' by addng a can of water to the first, thats the stuff)
add some spices or a little salt to taste.
i use cream of tomato, low fat tomato (no cream) cream of chicken or chicken with white wine ones myself.
cook some pasta (i use rice pasta myself)in salted water, drain when cooked, take a tin (i eat small,so i use half a tin) of the condensed soup and add it to the pasta (same pan, helps keep the washing up down ^^) stir it through. add any spices you might want. add a small chunk of butter, margarine or whichever dairy-free spread you use, and stir again (use a low heat so the soup doesnt stick but heats gently) and then shove it in a bowl and eat. use crusty bread if you want / can if realy hungry.
you can also add allready cooked meats, cooked veg or chunks of whichever meat substitute you use.
its cheap and its reasonably fast and its also easy on the washing up as if you do it right, one pan and one bowl are all you have left to wash (along with your spoons i guess lol)
another one i use is a tin of potatoes (cut them up into chunks) and a tin of spam (chopped pork and ham type. you could use a chicken one if you dont like pork) chopped up. i fry the meat chunks till a little crispy in butter (goats myself, but you can use margarine or dairy-free spreads too. sunflower 'Pure' gives as nice a taste and crisp i have found), add the chopped tinned potatoes (they often call them 'tinned new potatoes' here in the uk, not sure what they call them elsewhere, but they are small cooked potatoes in salted water in a tin. the pre cooked part means you only need to heat them through you see. another time saver)add a little spice. i use some garlic granuels or a tiny bit of roasted papricka with a sprinkling of sugar. once the potatos are a little crispy (but hopefully befor the meat starts to burn lol) you can serve them up. another meal that benefits from bread (which ever type you like or can eat.)
and again, its close to one pot, one plate and one spoon to wash.
pasta plus a tin of condensed soup (look on the tin, if the instructions say that you can 'double' by addng a can of water to the first, thats the stuff)
add some spices or a little salt to taste.
i use cream of tomato, low fat tomato (no cream) cream of chicken or chicken with white wine ones myself.
cook some pasta (i use rice pasta myself)in salted water, drain when cooked, take a tin (i eat small,so i use half a tin) of the condensed soup and add it to the pasta (same pan, helps keep the washing up down ^^) stir it through. add any spices you might want. add a small chunk of butter, margarine or whichever dairy-free spread you use, and stir again (use a low heat so the soup doesnt stick but heats gently) and then shove it in a bowl and eat. use crusty bread if you want / can if realy hungry.
you can also add allready cooked meats, cooked veg or chunks of whichever meat substitute you use.
its cheap and its reasonably fast and its also easy on the washing up as if you do it right, one pan and one bowl are all you have left to wash (along with your spoons i guess lol)
another one i use is a tin of potatoes (cut them up into chunks) and a tin of spam (chopped pork and ham type. you could use a chicken one if you dont like pork) chopped up. i fry the meat chunks till a little crispy in butter (goats myself, but you can use margarine or dairy-free spreads too. sunflower 'Pure' gives as nice a taste and crisp i have found), add the chopped tinned potatoes (they often call them 'tinned new potatoes' here in the uk, not sure what they call them elsewhere, but they are small cooked potatoes in salted water in a tin. the pre cooked part means you only need to heat them through you see. another time saver)add a little spice. i use some garlic granuels or a tiny bit of roasted papricka with a sprinkling of sugar. once the potatos are a little crispy (but hopefully befor the meat starts to burn lol) you can serve them up. another meal that benefits from bread (which ever type you like or can eat.)
and again, its close to one pot, one plate and one spoon to wash.
Name an italian, mexican, or southern US (mostly breakfast) meal and I can probably cook it. I love my kitchen. I also make awesome casseroles and experiment with random bits of food in the fridge and/or pantry. I make my own sauces as well, use Woks and various other pots and pans properly. Iron skillet master! Sort of... Point is I love to cook and never have had complaints or a bad meal.
Want something quick and tasty? Bachelor Chow.
1 portion beef mince
1/2 to 1 onion depending on preference, diced
1/2 to 1 tin of baked beans, drained of most of the sauce
As much cheese as you can stand
1 beef oxo cube or other dry stock cube (optional)
Lightly fry onions in a large pan, add mince and crumble stock cube onto it, once browned add beans and cheese, stirring constantly. Dump in a bowl one nice and melty and devour on a couch while watching daytime tv in you boxers.
1 portion beef mince
1/2 to 1 onion depending on preference, diced
1/2 to 1 tin of baked beans, drained of most of the sauce
As much cheese as you can stand
1 beef oxo cube or other dry stock cube (optional)
Lightly fry onions in a large pan, add mince and crumble stock cube onto it, once browned add beans and cheese, stirring constantly. Dump in a bowl one nice and melty and devour on a couch while watching daytime tv in you boxers.
I recommend Meatballs, pretty easy and VERY tasty:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/meatballs-and-pasta/
It uses cream crackers instead of bread, making it a lot faster than usual
If you like japanese food, there's this site:
http://www.justonecookbook.com
It has plenty of easy recipes that take 30 minutes to make (My favorites are various Donburi, Ramen and baked tonkatsu)
As a bonus, they leave little to clean afterwards
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/meatballs-and-pasta/
It uses cream crackers instead of bread, making it a lot faster than usual
If you like japanese food, there's this site:
http://www.justonecookbook.com
It has plenty of easy recipes that take 30 minutes to make (My favorites are various Donburi, Ramen and baked tonkatsu)
As a bonus, they leave little to clean afterwards
Stews work relatively well. You can make them in the slow cooker if you don't have much time.
Pasta is easy.
Pizza is relatively easy to do, at least if you have a breadmaker to do the dough quickly.
The same goes for pies, at least if you buy the pastry, or make it in bulk.
Rice goes well with almost anything.
And there's always youtube if you don't know how to make something.
Pasta is easy.
Pizza is relatively easy to do, at least if you have a breadmaker to do the dough quickly.
The same goes for pies, at least if you buy the pastry, or make it in bulk.
Rice goes well with almost anything.
And there's always youtube if you don't know how to make something.
simple dough recipe
2 cups of flour
1 cup of water
3 tablespoons of olive oil
a tea spoon of salt
cut it into 4 sections and roll really thin and you have tortillas, just cook on a skillet until they go brown and flip, should take a minute or so at most
cut tortillas into sections, put them in the oven till they are crispy.. chips for nachos or add bits and pieces on them like cheese, etc
roll it out in one large section, and stick on a pizza tray,add your toppings cook for 14 minutes at around 350c. better than take away pizza.. so much so i now end up having to make 5 or 6 for my household and the neighours.. death to pizza hut!
pasta is easy to make too. 100grams of sifted flour, 1 egg. just keep adding those proportions to make more
roll out as thin as possible, roll it into a thin tube and cut into thin sections. done chuck it into boiling water until cooked
2 cups of flour
1 cup of water
3 tablespoons of olive oil
a tea spoon of salt
cut it into 4 sections and roll really thin and you have tortillas, just cook on a skillet until they go brown and flip, should take a minute or so at most
cut tortillas into sections, put them in the oven till they are crispy.. chips for nachos or add bits and pieces on them like cheese, etc
roll it out in one large section, and stick on a pizza tray,add your toppings cook for 14 minutes at around 350c. better than take away pizza.. so much so i now end up having to make 5 or 6 for my household and the neighours.. death to pizza hut!
pasta is easy to make too. 100grams of sifted flour, 1 egg. just keep adding those proportions to make more
roll out as thin as possible, roll it into a thin tube and cut into thin sections. done chuck it into boiling water until cooked
I would suggest spaghetti bolognese. The sauce is simple enough and you can get quite a few recipes for it. Not to mention spaghetti is pretty hard to screw up. Now, if only I could figure out how I screwed up and burnt the spaghetti when the only preparation is boil water, I will be able to take my own advice.
T0ad 0f Truth said:
So you literally eat nothing but microwaved food otherwise?
Sounds revolting.
Anyway, onwards and upwards:
Spaghetti Bolognese (Spag Bol) has been mentioned a couple of times. It's a staple of mine. It's not particularly healthy, but it's easy to make and filling (and depending on your ingredients it's not especially unhealthy)
You will require:
1. Mince (of some description - beef, pork, quorn, whatever floats your boat, to make it a bit healthier have quorn(or your nations equivalent) or steak mince, doesn't really matter).
2.Pasta (doesn't have to be spaghetti - I often make it with fusli just for ease)
3.Sauce (2 options - pre bought bolognese sauce or make your own (which is easy)
4.2 Hobs and the pans required to actually cook the above (one pan for the pasta, the other for the mince).
To make your own you need tinned tomatoes (chopped, diced, doesn't really matter), a selection of vegetables to be chopped and added to the mix (again, doesn't especially matter but I tend to go for peppers, carrots, courgette and other stuff to add a bit of "crunch" to it), garlic and onions (mentioned seperately because I consider them to be a vital part of the whole thing).
The process of making it is pretty basic:
1. Fry up the onions a little bit to brown them off.
2a. Thrown on the mince, cook it until browned off and juices run clear.
2b. In the other pan, get a handful and a bit of pasta per person, add boiling water and begin to boil it.
3. Add remainder of ingredients (and a splash of water) and simmer until the whole thing reaches a viscosity you like (the longer you leave it, the more "sticky" and less watery it gets)
4. Drain the pasta, put it on your plate.
5. Add the Mince to said plate.
Boom. Spag Bol.
There are, undoubtedly, purists who will tell me I'm wrong in the above, and I've missed out some pretty key details (like amounts of things, and probably a few steps somewhere), but the dish is fairly simple, takes about 15 minutes to do, and once you've worked out how much pasta you need per person, how much mince, etc. etc. Then you can start fucking around with other ingredients.
Basically, everything I cook comes down to 4 elements in various mixes:
1. Pasta or Rice.
2. Meat.
3. Sauce.
4. Vegetables.
Take those 4 things and combine them, and you've got a pretty varied, not entirely unhealthy diet.
Like others above, I like homemade curries and casseroles. Pasta, potatoes and/or rice for your starches, chicken or pork for your protein, spices to taste... I use chilies, turmeric, cumin, ginger mostly for curries. Oregano, basil, garlic for pastas.
Or if you don't want to bother with that, there's always Hamburger Helper, Rice-a-roni, Kraft Mac-and-cheese, or Ramen, and it's pretty easy to add your own personal touch to any of those.
Or if you don't want to bother with that, there's always Hamburger Helper, Rice-a-roni, Kraft Mac-and-cheese, or Ramen, and it's pretty easy to add your own personal touch to any of those.
Microwaves aren't just for Easy Mac. How do you heat your leftovers if you don't have a microwave?Colour Scientist said:
*shrugs*manic_depressive13 said:
It's never really been an issue for me.
I tend to just make enough for myself for one meal, any leftovers are usually negligible, I very rarely reheat food. If I did, I'd probably use the oven but I honestly can't remember the last time I did that. If I have leftover pasta or something like that, I'd just have it cold.
Whaaaaaaaat? When I was a kid my mum would make like a vat of soup, and that's all we'd eat for days. I still make things in bulk. Generally lasts a week- week and a half if I skip meals. Fancy cooking every day!Colour Scientist said:
Anyway OP: Boil pasta. Add milk... and don't complain.
We were the opposite. My mom worked a lot and she would either pick up ingredients on the way home or I'd have to make something for myself.manic_depressive13 said:
I'm really bad at grocery shopping in bulk, I just buy/cook as I go. Like, if I wanted stir fry, I'd buy enough veg/meat/whatever else to make two but I'd cook two separate meals on each day, rather than making one big one and reheating half.
I'm more like manic. If I make something I make a ton of it so I can have it for lunch the next few days. The aforementioned potato salad and sloppy joe meat is an example... though with sloppy joe you obviously don't leave it too long you know? >.>Colour Scientist said:
Like buttered spaghetti noodles or? Haven't had those in a while. I tend to just throw cheese and prego on it and make spaghetti.manic_depressive13 said: